The present invention relates to applying a cosmetic or care product, in particular on the lips or the eyelids.
It is known to flock applicator endpieces in order to enable them to retain more substance and to increase comfort at the time of application.
To make a flocked endpiece, it is known to begin by depositing adhesive thereon, and subsequently to deposit short bristles by electrostatic means.
It is difficult to obtain a coating of flocking having a sharp outline.
Unfortunately, the lack of a sharp outline is unattractive in appearance and makes it more difficult to apply makeup neatly.
The invention seeks in particular to solve the above-mentioned problem.
An object of the present invention is thus to provide an endpiece that is easy to manufacture, that is capable of defining an applicator surface that is suitable for making up neatly, and that is comfortable to use.
The endpiece of the invention comprises a first part assembled with a second part, one of the two parts defining at least part of an applicator surface suitable for being fed with substance by at least one orifice of the endpiece, the second part having a coating of flocking extending:
at least to an edge of said second part, said edge being substantially in contact with a non-flocked corresponding edge of the first part; and/or
to a line situated substantially in contact with a non-flocked corresponding edge of the first part, the surface of the second part to which the flocking bristles are attached being set back from the outer surface of the edge of the first part.
The term xe2x80x9cedge substantially in contactxe2x80x9d is used to mean edges that touch or that are in the immediate vicinity of each other, given manufacturing tolerances.
The invention makes it possible to obtain a coating of flocking that has a sharp outline, thereby improving the appearance of the endpiece and making it possible to improve makeup quality.
In addition, using two assembled-together parts makes it easier to make the coating of flocking since one of said parts can be flocked separately more easily, possibly with reduced risk of plugging any orifices used for feeding substance to the coating of flocking.
In a particular embodiment, the second part has a coating of flocking extending at least to an edge of said second part, said edge being substantially in contact with a non-flocked corresponding edge of the first part, the edge of the second part being defined by a ridge.
In a particular embodiment, the second part has a coating of flocking extending at least to an edge of said second part, said edge being substantially in contact with a non-flocked corresponding edge of the first part, the edge of said second part being defined by the free edge thereof.
In a particular embodiment, the second part has a coating of flocking extending to a line situated substantially in contact with a non-flocked corresponding edge of the first part, the surface of the second part to which the bristles of the flocking are attached being set back from the outer surface of the edge portion of the first part.
The envelope surface of the coating of flocking can be situated substantially in continuity with the outside surface of the edge of the first part.
The envelope surface of the coating of flocking can also be substantially parallel to an axis of the endpiece, or it can extend transversely relative to an axis of the endpiece.
The coating of flocking need not be covered by the edge of the first part.
The applicator surface can be defined by the second part which can be the fitted part.
The second part can have an outside face that is entirely flocked, defining the applicator surface.
The applicator surface can also be defined at least in part by the first part.
In a particular embodiment, the first part has a housing in which the second part is fixed.
This housing is preferably of a shape which is complementary to the shape of the second part.
The first part may include an outer annular skirt that is not flocked.
Preferably, the first and second parts have sealing means enabling the two parts to be assembled together in leakproof manner.
The two parts can be fixed one in the other by snap-fastening.
In a variant, the two parts can be fixed one to the other by heat-sealing, adhesive, or hot-setting.
In a preferred embodiment, the second part includes a grid or is constituted by a grid.
Advantageously, the second part includes an annular groove or cavity extending along a closed curve, possibly other than circular.
Preferably, this groove or cavity does not present any narrowing of its section at its outer opening, thus enabling the surface of the skin or the lips to penetrate more deeply therein, where appropriate, so as to extract substance.
In a particular embodiment, the second part is of varying height so as to define a chamfered applicator surface.
The second part can have an element that co-operates with the first part to form a check valve suitable for moving under drive from pressure in the substance.
The valve serves to protect the substance upstream from the endpiece from becoming dirtied and from oxidation.
The first part can include a central portion forming a jet-deflector, situated in or facing a substance-feed passage.
In a variant, the second part includes a jet-deflector-forming portion situated facing a substance-feed passage.
The applicator surface may comprise a chamfered surface and a side surface extending around said chamfered surface, said chamfered and side surfaces being flocked.
The second part can include one or more grooves or cavities and can be covered by a coating of flocking that extends over at least a fraction of the inside surface of said grooves or cavities.
Advantageously, the orifice(s) into which the substance feed passages open out in the bottom(s) of said groove(s) or cavity(ies) is/are set back from the applicator surface by a distance of at least 1 millimeter (mm).
The groove(s) or cavity(ies) can be flocked over a fraction of its(their) height from the applicator surface without running the risk of the coating of flocking interfering excessively with the flow of substance, since the groove(s) or cavity(ies) in question can be relatively wide, e.g. having opposite edges that are more than 1 mm apart, the distance between said edges preferably being selected in such a manner that the surface of the lips or of the skin can reach substance contained inside.
The presence of the groove(s) or the cavity(ies) is also advantageous in that it makes it possible to absorb any excess substance on the applicator surface and avoid substance being expelled from the applicator surface when the endpiece is brought into contact with the surface to be made up or treated.
In a particular embodiment, the second part is in the form of a sleeve covered by a coating of flocking on a front face and on at least one of its inner and outer side surfaces, preferably over its entire outer surface and over a fraction of its inner side surface.
The second part can be made out of flexible material.
More generally, the first part and/or the second part can be made out of one or more plastics materials selected from the following list: ethylene-propylene diene monomer (EPDM) elastomer, nitrile rubber, latex, thermoplastic elastomer of polystyrene (PS), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyurethane (PU), ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), xe2x80x9cPolynorbordenxe2x80x9d, or a relatively rigid thermoplastic material such as polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), PS, PET, polycarbonate (PC), etc.
In a particular embodiment, the coating of flocking extends to an edge that presents undulations.
In a particular embodiment, the second part includes a central region and a peripheral region interconnected by bridges of material.
These bridges of material need not be flocked, particularly if they are set back significantly from the applicator surface.
The second part can also be completely flocked.
In a particular embodiment, the endpiece has at least one orifice that is off-center, for feeding substance to the applicator surface.
In a particular embodiment, the second part is off-center relative to the first, thus making it possible, where appropriate, to provide an endpiece that is more ergonomic.
The second part can cooperate with the first to provide a gap allowing the substance to flow, and even flow back, under the second part.
The invention also provides a packaging and applicator device including an endpiece as defined above together with a reservoir of substance for containing the substance that is to feed the endpiece.
The reservoir can be formed by a body that is integral with the first part of the endpiece.
The device can include a piston for exerting pressure on the substance contained in the reservoir for the purpose of dispensing it.
The reservoir can also include a compressible wall enabling the substance to be dispensed by exerting pressure thereon, e.g. by the user exerting pressure.
The device can also include a pump.
The reservoir can be removable, in which case it can constitute a refill.
When the device includes a pump, the reservoir is advantageously movable relative to the remainder of the device so as to actuate the pump in order to dispense a quantity of the substance.
Advantageously, the device includes a closure cap containing at least one internal shutter member suitable for covering the substance outlet orifice(s) when it is in place on the endpiece.
The invention also provides a method of manufacturing the endpiece as defined above, wherein the second part is made with a coating of flocking and with at least one groove or cavity without piercing said groove or cavity after flocking has been performed and without inserting an insert in said groove or cavity during flocking.
Thus, the endpiece is relatively simple to manufacture.
In addition, by not piercing the second portion after the flocking has been performed, no roughnesses or starters for peeling off the coating of flocking are formed, which is particularly important when the second part is flexible, e.g. because it is made of elastomer.